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Eredar Theocracy
The Eredar Theocracy was the planetary government of the Eredar species. Prior to their discovery in 2680 by the Ghaz and Vordr, they were capable of space flight but still working to break the lightspeed barrier. Homeworld Orbiting an M class star, Argus, as its people call it, is magnificent Earth-like world, 65 percent water and 35 percent land. It has 1 standard g surface gravity and is 99% the size of Earth. Argus has a ‘brother’ planet by the name of Argeus, which their shared moon, Danae, also orbits. Unlike Argus, Argeus is a lifeless brown rock, and was often confused to be a massive moon during the early days of Eredar civilization. It is difficult to talk about Argus without getting into its ample deposits of normally rare resources, the most notable of these being the Khaydarin crystals. 80 million years ago, a colossal asteroid that encompassed the crystals impacted the planet, forever shaping the evolution of life upon Argus. These typically amethyst, organic stones quickly spread across the planet’s surface, stimulating the growth of intelligent life, and giving the soil of Argus a typically purple hue. Its also formed massive, intricate designs upon the planet’s surface, some only visible from space. Argus contains many earth-like biomes upon its three continents: Antorus, Krokuun, and Kaarinos. From jungles to tundra, from rolling hills to towering mountains. One thing it lacks is deserts, as the Khaydarin crystals seem to primarily grow from sand and sandstone. Thus, Argus’ deserts have long since vanished, replaced by planes of crystal. This oddly enough makes Sandstone a surprisingly valued commodity among the Eredar. Technology As of their discovery by the Vordr and Ghaz Expeditionary Fleet, the Eredar possessed technology roughly equivalent to late 21st century Earth. However, the wondrous ‘magical’ abilities of the Khaydarin crystals their planet is rife with has made their way of life drastically different. Nearly all technology integrates the crystals, and as the crystals are also considered holy, gives many tools normally considered plain and standard by other species more spiritual weight. Before encountering their first alien civilization, the Eredar were experimenting with space folding technologies for FTL travel, though this has largely been abandoned in favor of the already developed Slipspace drive. Society The Eredar culture is centered around two things: the Holy Light of Creation, and magic. They can somewhat be viewed as religion and science, though always through the lens of the wondrous abilities of the Khaydarin crystals. As a result, Eredar usually choose religious professions, such as the Anchorite (priest) or magical ones, such as the Artificer (mage). Eredar military is a zealous militant order, their members being known as Vindicators (paladins). Their faith in the light of creation, the divine power that exists in all life, has lead them to have a relatively peaceful history. Their three continents set aside their differences under the leadership of the Triumvirate without any outside threat or global calamity to push them towards such. Though the ranks of the Vindicators are many, they mostly double as a police force and deterrent to hostilities. Rather, the conflicts of various religious factions in the past have largely come down to tests of faith and challenges rather than raw armed conflict. As such, the Eredar have a medieval approach to weaponry. Despite being a relatively ancient civilization and being blessed with long life spans, this lack of violent competition could perhaps be the cause of their slow technological advancement. The Eredar are led by the Triumvirate, a council of elder leaders, each hailing from one of the main continents. For the most part, the Eredar decide their leaders through meritocratic methods, built upon the structure of a republic. The Eredar do creative AI to help with their daily tasks, though their belief in the sanctity of life extends even them surprising rights and respect, despite being relatively crude compared to many interstellar civilizations. Religion The Light (also known as the Holy Light, Holy Light of Creation and light of Creation) is an endless, shimmering sea of energy situated outside the barriers of reality and one of the two most fundamental forces in the universe along with the Void, which was born from the absence of the former. The two cannot exist without the other. The Light is not necessarily "good", it is a primal force with its morality characterized by how it is wielded. The Eredar take great responsibility for wielding this power. Pure Light cannot exist within the physical universe but shades of it manifest as holy magic. The Light is the source of all life in the cosmos. Summoned by willpower or faith in one's ability to do so, the powers of the Light can be harnessed to heal, cleanse, protect, or harm. Most of its practitioners are called priests or paladins, devoted to cleansing the universe of darkness. Learning to wield this healing force takes years of discipline. Its positive energies, residing in every living being, in every heart and soul, is everywhere, binding all sentient beings together as one. The Light cannot fully see destiny, though neither can the Void, for neither are singularly responsible for creation. The Light seeks one path and shuns all others as lies. Some Eredar, particularly the Prophet Velen, believe in enigmatic beings they call the Naaru. Composed of shards of fractured Light, they may be the purest expression of Light in the physical universe. While initially open to the idea of adapting Vordr Slipspace drives for means of faster than light travel, the twilight realm of Slipspace is worried by some to be the realm of the Void, causing some theological concern about traveling through it. Category:Civilizations Category:NPC Nations Category:Non-Human Nations